Fearless Obedience
“Since God is holy and utterly good by nature, even his harshest commands are worth your obedience. Or to say it another way, if God is as good as He says He is, then every single command is good for you even if it doesn’t feel good to you.” - Jackie Hill Perry
Boom, was your heart checked? Because mine was. Thank you to the oh-so-spiritual outlet of Instagram as I read this on someone’s page, and my heart became so intrigued. Being fearless will require some serious obedience.
As an African-American woman there are certain rights of passages, and getting a relaxer is one of them. A relaxer for African Americans are definitely different for other people. It is a chemical that straightens the hair and lays the waviest of hairs down. When I was younger I had the curliest hair, and when I got my first relaxer it was a game changer. I was a different person.
My mom always told me to only get relaxers from the hairstylist, because they are the professionals. Of course, you couldn’t tell high-school me anything, so I did a thing. I bought an at home relaxer and did it myself. You know that saying your parents are always right—or is it the customer is always right? Well whichever, no matter how old you are when you are reading this, I learned a valuable lesson we can all remember: your parents are always right.
That day when I did my at home relaxer, washed my hair out, and then styled it, I had a rude awakening. My luscious locks was now a brittle mess. The first thing my mom asked me was “Why were you disobedient?”
The definition of obedience is compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority. I cannot even think of where we would be now if Jesus wasn’t obedient to God. Obedience is very key to our freedom today.
Do you know that we serve a God who loves when we are obedient? It is our very obedience from God that dictates how our life will go. Think of Moses, a man that the Bibles states was slow in speech and tongue.
As Christians there are so many reasons we can’t do things: I talk differently; I have crazy eyes; or I’m too fat or too skinny. God does not care about that, but He does care about obedient hearts no matter what. Moses had a lot of “what ifs”; what if they don’t listen, what if I stumble of my words, what if I mess up?
What ifs are a waste of time.
God chose Moses in spite of his speaking issues and despite the fact he even murdered someone. Exodus 4:11-12 says, “11 The Lord said to him, ‘Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.’”
God went straight to dad mode. He like,”Didn’t I give you that mouth? You need to go ahead and do as I asked.”
If you know the story, Moses later freed tons of Egyptians, but it required him to be obedient in spite of how he felt about it or himself. God wants to bring order to our lives, but it requires obedience, fearless obedience.
This year let’s step out in fearlessness with obedient hearts—and remember who gave you that mouth. Use it for His glory, because like my story, when we are disobedient you end up with a brittle mess.
Our Prayer
Father, we want to pause right here and reflect that you are our Heavenly Father. It was You who designed us, it was You who created us. You equipped us to fulfill what you’ve called us to do. Help us to follow your calling with fearless obedience, knowing that You—as our Heavenly Father—are always right. In Jesus name, amen!